Police Deploy More Men to Emir’s Palace, Dislodge Hunters, Thugs Guarding Sanusi

•Court fixes July 2 for hearing

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

Armed security operatives have dislodged hunters and thugs protecting the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, in compliance with the directives of Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf.

That was as the Kano State High Court fixed July 2 for the hearing of all pending applications in the ongoing case instituted by the state government, the House of Assembly, and its Speaker in the Emirate crisis.

In the early hours of Sunday, all non-state actors loitering in and outside the palace were dispersed by armed police officers from the Anti Daba department of the Kano State Police Command.

The command had deployed more armed security personnel to provide security at the Emir Sanusi’s Palace as well as the Nasarawa Palace, where the 15th Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, resided.

Yusuf had earlier ordered security agencies in the state to promptly bring an end to thuggery and youth clashes bedevilling the state.

The governor, who frowned on the recent upsurge in thuggery and clashes involving Yan Daba, said the government will not passively observe while unscrupulous elements endangered the relative tranquillity and harmony enjoyed by law-abiding citizens of the state.

Barely 24 hours after the governor’s directive, the police swung into action by raiding and dislodging all hunters and thugs deployed to protect the Emir against any move to remove him from the palace.

In an interview with journalists, the outgoing Commissioner of Police, AIG Usaini Gumel, said the deployment of the additional officers aimed at preventing security threats at the two palaces.

Gumel added that the command had reinforced its personnel to ensure adequate security and peaceful coexistence of residents following a recent upsurge in thuggery activities in the state.

He stated, “We deployed more personnel to provide security at the Kofar Kudu Palace, the residence of Emir Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi 11, and the Nasarawa Mimi Palace, the residence of Emir Aminu Bayero.” 

The commissioner stated that the police command was committed to providing the required security that would enable all residents to pursue their legitimate activities without threats to lives and property.

Gumel appealed to the general public to support the police in the discharge of their duties, urging residents to provide information that can assist the command in maintaining peace.

Meanwhile, the presiding judge in the emirate crisis, Justice Amina Aliyu, ordered that all defendants be served with a hearing notice and fixed July 2 for the hearing.

As the Originating Summons was ripe for hearing, the court, in its discretion, abridged the time for counsel to address all pending applications, considering the urgency of the entire case.

The case sought to perpetually restrain the 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, and four others from parading themselves as emirs.

When the case resumed yesterday for the hearing of a motion on notice praying for an interlocutory injunction, counsel to Alhaji Aminu Ado, Ibrahim Mukhtar, filed counter affidavits with three processes.

The processes included challenging the competency of the court to hear and determine the suit, a motion seeking to set aside the earlier ex-parte order (arguing it should not have been granted), and a counter affidavit challenging the court’s decision to restrain the defendants from parading themselves as Emirs of Kano, Bichi, Rano, Gaya, and Karaye.

The defendants were Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, Alhaji Nasiru Bayero, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar II, Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Gaya, the Inspector General of Police, Director of the Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Army.